After waiting for far too long, I decided to take my own advice- I finally scheduled an appointment with Dr. Lauryn Beecher at Pelvic Health & Wellness Physical Therapy in Shorewood, to address my occasional bladder leakage and to learn more about my pelvic floor health in general. 

I figured that I’m probably not the only one with both hesitations and curiosities when it comes to pelvic floor physical therapy. I decided to share my experience and issues along with some generalized questions that may help you decide if seeking care from a physical therapist will benefit you. 

Generally speaking people who are pregnant or postpartum commonly seek out pelvic floor physical therapy for these issues. 

• Pelvic Pain and Pain with Intercourse

• Leaking Urine, Gas, or Feces

• Urinary Urgency and Frequency

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse (cystocele, uterine and vaginal vault prolapse, rectocele, rectal prolapse)

• Painful Scars after Vaginal or Cesarean Birth

• Diastasis Rectus Abdominis/Diastasis Recti (DRA/DR)

My first appointment started with talking about the issues bringing me in. As I mentioned, I personally struggle with some occasional bladder leakage and urgency issues, usually when I sneeze, cough, or laugh intensely but I don’t have any major discomfort or pain. We talked about my overall health history along with my pregnancies and birth experiences. 

Before starting the initial examination of my pelvic floor muscles and their movements, Dr. Lauryn pulled out her model pelvis to show me exactly how the exam will go. She walked me through what she watches for externally and how she will conduct an internal exam and what she feels for. This demonstration really put me at ease and I gave consent to proceed with the exam. Dr. Lauryn was able to feel exactly how my pelvic floor muscles were moving and working together. I was also instructed to keep track of my daily fluid intake and voiding for a few days, this gave us a more in depth look at the frequency, volume, and patterns. 

We were able to determine that for the most part things looked good but by retraining my brain and engaging my pelvic floor muscles to override the urgency signals, I can prevent the leaks from happening as I make my way to the bathroom. Dr Lauryn was able to guide me through the exercises that will enable me to strengthen and increase the stamina of my pelvic floor. 

Since starting pelvic floor physical therapy a month ago I’ve felt more tuned into to my body, how it feels, and it’s overall function as well. I’ve been able to use the tips and techniques I’ve been taught to truly reduce the amount of leaking and the frequency of it happening in general. The exercises I’m doing to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles are easy and I’m able to incorporate them into my day without struggle. I can slowly feel them becoming stronger and they’re engaging more intuitively than before too. 

I’m glad that I took the leap and decided to take care of my body in the way it needed. The experience has been really empowering for me, I love knowing that I have some control over how my body is physically feeling and working!